Popularization of Toria Through Frontline Demonstration in Rice-Fallow Under Hill Region of North East India

Abstract

Low productivity and profitability are the major constraints of continuous rice - fallow practice in Sikkim Himalayas. Toria cultivation in rice-fallow may be an option for enhancing the productivity and profitability of the farmers and also for utilizing the residual soil moisture for increasing the cropping intensity. Therefore, frontline demonstration was carried out by the ICAR-KrishiVigyan Kendra, East Sikkim during 2021-2022 and 2022-23 for increasing productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the rice-fallow. Results indicated that rice yield was ranged from 20.8 – 21.3 q/ha during two years. The two-year mean of rice equivalent yield (REY) was recorded 41.54 q/ha and 21.05 q/ha under rice-toria and rice-fallow system, respectively. Higher system production efficiency (16.18 kg/ha/day), economic efficiency (139.10 Rs/ha/day), and land-use efficiency (72.47 %) were recorded in the rice-toria system compared to rice-fallow. The average net return, benefit-cost ratio were recorded Rs.35900/ha, Rs.14995/ha, and 1.70, 1.46 under rice-toria and rice-fallow, respectively. Higher output energy, net energy, and energy productivity were recorded in rice-toria as compared to rice-fallow. Energy input, energy output, output-input ratio, energy productivity, net energy return and energy productivity were recorded 6389.4 MJ/ha, 79318.5 MJ/ha, 12.41, Kg/MJ, MJ/ha and 11.41 and 8742.9 MJ/ha, 128102.0 MJ/ha, 14.65, 0.49, 119359 MJ/ha and 13.65 with rice-fallow and rice-toria respectively. Hence, it may be concluded that the inclusion of toria is an option for improving the productivity, profitability; cropping intensity and energy use efficiency also harvest the residual soil moisture.